The LunarCraft would be launched in a highly elliptical transfer orbit with perigee (Perigee is the point at which an object in orbit around the Earth makes its closest approach to the Earth) of about 240 km and an apogee (The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite most distant from the center of the earth) of about 24,000 km.

After a quick estimate of the achieved LTT (Lunar Transfer Trajectory) a mid-course correction will be imparted at the earliest opportunity. The spacecraft coasts for about five and a half days in this trajectory prior to the lunar encounter. The major maneuver of the mission, called Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) that leads to lunar capture, would be carried out at the peri-selene (nearest point in lunar orbit) leading to successful lunar capture in a polar, near circular 1000 km-altitude orbit.

After successful capture and health checks, the altitude is planned to be lowered through a series of in-plane corrections to achieve the target altitude of 100 km circular polar orbit.

After two weeks of journey India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 entered the lunar orbit on Saturday (Nov. 08, 2008) evening. It started at 16:50 hrs IST and within 14 minutes, it the entered lunar orbit. It is now 504 km from Moon. ISRO says the most critical operation is successful. With this development, India's moon mission has been declared successful.